Nostalgia
by Space Cowboy3
Summary: Set after the events of Love Hina Again the girls reflect on their relationship with Keitaro and their lives before and after they met him.
1. Musings in the Wind

Disclaimer: Love Hina is property of Ken Akamatsu and whatever other company owns the rights so DON'T SUE ME! I'M BROKE!

Note: Basically all this fic is about is how the girls and a few other important characters feel about everyone's favorite landlord/punching bag while showing how time can bring about change in each one. Based more off the television series and specials than the manga (because I haven't read all the volumes yet). It's set a few years after the movie special "Love Hina Again". So grab a beer...or soda and some popcorn and enjoy the show! (By the way, if you've read my other story "Scorned", well the setup of this fic and the former in terms of structure will be identical, except this fic will use more of a third person view and speech will now be in quotations.)

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Nostalgia

A fic by Space Cowboy3

Synopsis: See above

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Chapter 1: Musings in the Wind / Motoko

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Silence.

She sits there in silence, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Above, a couple of leaves slowly fall to Earth. Not even a second later, said leaves were cut in two by a powerful, yet quick swipe of her sword.

As the tattered leaves finally reach the wooden deck; she stands up, sheathing her katana. Yet something seems different about her. If one would notice her facial features, she has a soft smile planted on her beautifully pale face. With a sharp exhale, each leaf she cut in two now split into four parts. This made her smile even more, for she feels a sense of pride mixed with satisfaction about her accomplishment. The source of this newfound ability you ask? Well...let's let her tell us.

"Keitaro, thank you." She says with same smile and peaceful demeanor

Yes, you heard it first ladies and gents. One, Motoko Aoyama, who at one time hated all men. Now she

shows affection for the same sex that for so long she wished would die off...? Not entirely my friends.

She still has her reservations about being around men but with time learned that one must accept both the good, the bad, and the (often times extremely) ugly. Once again Motoko begins speaking about something important to her.

"Keitaro, you have shown me what it truly means to be a person. I can look back and say that when I was absorbed in training to become a strong warrior, I truly missed the point about becoming stronger. True that I was becoming physically stronger but I was not emotionally or mentally stronger. My personal demons clouded my judgment to the point where I believed that thrashing, beating, striking, you was the proper way in dealing with men. I thought all men were evil in one way or another, whether they were perverts, cons, bums, etc. All this just because my sister, who I admired for her strength and ability, gave up everything just to be with a man she loved. I guess I viewed him as a demon of some sort and thus viewing all men like that. I felt that men made women weaker and I became scared because of it."

"Now that I am older and wiser, I can see the folly of my ways. I dedicated myself to the art of kendo so much that I forgot how to live. I didn't know how to act like a woman either in public or in private. Then...then you came into my life. At first, I treated you like I treated all men...like filth. I attacked you for every little reason just because I could. You never did anything bad that warranted that kind of treatment (well not all the time anyway ha ha). Yet after all the abuse I delivered, you still stuck with us and were their for us when we needed somebody to talk to. In time I grudgingly accepted you for the person you were; a kind, thoughtful, yet slightly moronic human being who was slowly winning me over. Yes I said it, I was starting to become attracted to you. I really didn't show it but you showed me that even a man can be good."

"It was this feeling that slowly gave me my life back. I something else to live for. I noticed your budding relationship with Naru and felt the first signs of jealousy. Of course I really didn't know how to express myself other than attacking you. It was just a reflex action whenever something happened. Still you forgave me each and every time. Yes, I loved you. I wanted to be with you but I always felt conflicted over my emotions. Also, with you and Naru becoming so close, I realized my chances with you were little to none. Yet, you still gave me strength to keep going. With time, I learned how to be more feminine while at the same time becoming a better swords woman. It was all thanks to you Keitaro."

Motoko looked into the sky as the early morning sun rose over the horizon. Then she looked back at the inn just in time to see Keitaro coming to tell her that breakfast was ready. With a smile she, told him that she would be down shortly. As she picked up her gear, she had one final thought about her life up to now.

"I may have lost you but I will never truly forget you and what you have done for me. It has been a few years since you and Naru were married and not too long after had your first child. It doesn't make a difference though, you're still with me and the rest of our crazy family here. That's all that matters to me."

End Chapter 1

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End note: Uhhhhhh... this chapter kinda deviated from my original plan but nonetheless turned out much better than I originally planned. I believe that Motoko really did care about Keitaro as the series progressed but she never could express emotion properly due to her tough demeanor and naivety. Yet you can see that she did have feelings for him as time progressed. Anyway I will update this soon. I am also working on a Phantasy Star fic called "Scorned" right now as well. So if you would gladly take a look at that as well and leave feedback as well for both fics. Thank you so very much!

All reviews welcome but keep flaming to a minimum. I prefer "constructive criticism" thank you

Any questions please e-mail me (e-mail address found in bio). **Make sure you type "LH fic' in subject line or I will ignore it.** Thank you again.


	2. Long Nights Past

Disclaimer: See previous chapter...or not. Don't come crying to me if you don't. I'll just laugh at you and tell you "I told you so!".

Notes: Not really much I have or need to say except this chapter will be about the resident loafer and alcoholic (and we all know who that is). Also, I decided to only write from the viewpoints of the girls directly affected by Keitaro's presence. Therefore characters, such as Seta (or any other male character for that matter) shall be omitted from this fic. Then again, I might change my mind later on so stick with me. So now sit back and enjoy the next chapter!

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Nostalgia

A fic by Space Cowboy3

Synopsis: See last chapter

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Chapter 2: Long Nights Past / Kitsune

It's early in the morning and the sun has just begun to rise over the horizon. Right now, people are beginning to awake with a mighty yawn and stretch. At the Hinata Inn, one young woman begins her day with a moan and a crawl to the nearest bathroom...well this used to be the case anyway.

This was the normal routine for one Mitsune "Kitsune" Konno. Her habit for getting drunk the night before then waking up with a nasty hangover the next morning as become the stuff of legends. It was something you could set your watch to ever morning. Everybody at the inn was surprised that she never did build a tolerance to the amount of alcohol she consumed (or she did develop a tolerance but drank more to compensate for it).

When she finally recovered from the hangover, she then went about her day raising all sorts of Hell for the other tenants. Her ability to manipulate the people around her netted her the nickname "Kitsune" for crying out loud! Whether it be setting up poor Keitaro in a provocative position (which usually ended up sending Keitaro flying into the lower stratosphere by a well-placed Naru punch), somehow getting out of doing chores (once again playing around with poor Keitaro's emotions), or trying to play matchmaker (mostly failing miserably) in Keitaro'' and Naru's relationship.

Now things have changed. She no longer drinks like a barfly, even though she still gets plastered when the gang decides to throw a party. Yes, ladies and gents, she has given up her her nightly drinking ritual! Astounding! To top that, she no longer torments the other members of the inn beyond the good-natured crack she loves to drop on an unsuspecting member of the household when the chance arises. What could possibly bring about this change in the resident fox lady?

"I could sum it up in one word, but everyone nows what, or who, that word describes" quips Kitsune.

Ah yes, it seems that our favorite bumbling landlord as even changed the vibrant fox lady without even trying. Yes Kitsune admits that Keitaro is the one responsible for her change in attitude. What's the reason some may ask? Well, let's hear it from her, shall we?

"You are so easy to tease, Keitaro. Yet, you never really let it bother you and your quest to achieve your goal in life. I cannot tell you how many times I used my feminine wiles to charm you out of money, doing work, or just to get a rise out of your naïve self. Yet it was something that endeared me to you. I will not say that I love you as a lover per se. Our relationship is more like that of siblings, so to speak. I already love somebody else even though he has found somebody else. Yet being around you allows me to relax enjoy life because you would like to see your friends happy."

"Referring back to what I said about our relationship, I said it was more like a sibling relationship, you know ' You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours'. Unfortunately, I have taken advantage of your kindness for way too long. Yet, you kept helping me when I needed it or listened to whatever I had to say. You were always the one acting more like a big brother than my landlord. For that, I thank you with all my heart."

"Now that I think about it. While you were busting your ass trying to get into Tokyo U., I was sitting on my rear doing diddily squat. All I did was drink and leech off of you or anybody else for that matter. That's when I decided to try to change my life around. It's a work in progress but I'm doing my best, just like you are. When you and Naru finally admitted your feelings for one another, I felt so happy. All your hard work and determination in trying to win Naru over had finally paid off. It inspired me to work harder to become something more than a drunk, manipulative bitch that I had become. Thank you, my dear friend."

As she sat in her room, contemplating on what she wanted to do. Kitsune suddenly had a bright idea. She decided that it was high time to show some gratitude. Yet, a little bit of her old self shown through as she decided a little prank was in order. She knew that it might cause him to squirm; but she considered him family, and as they say, "It's all in the family".

"Heh heh, old habits die hard" chimed Kitsune.

End Chapter 2

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End notes: Yes!!!!! Chapter 2 is done!!!!!!! I really hope you like it. Regarding Kitsune's change in behavior, I feel that over the course of the anime and manga she began to become more of a responsible

person because of Keitaro's influence. Sure she still loved to play pranks our get drunk; but as I said before, this takes place several years after the end of everything. I did take some liberty in creating her new persona but I still showed that she still has a little bit of her old self still there. Once again, thank you for reading. Also check out my other fics under my profile as well! (By the way, this chapter seemed to be markedly longer than last, something I wasn't expecting. Maybe because this character 's personality is either much more complex or I just had a real stroke of inspiration when writing this chapter. Then again, I could be wrong. Ah well.)

Contact info is located in chapter 1 in case you wish to get in touch with me.

-Later y'all!


	3. Timeless Love

Disclaimer: Now do I have to repeat myself every single time?

Notes: Sorry for not updating sooner but I just not have had the time to get anything done. I could claim writer's block as a factor too. Now that I have some free time, I can finally update this fic. With that said, let's get down to business. Nothing new in terms of how this fic will be presented. Just kick back and enjoy the show!

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Nostalgia

A fic by Space Cowboy3

Synopsis: You should know by now...

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Chapter 3: Timeless Love / Shinobu

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Every morning, one could smell the delicious aroma of breakfast coming from the kitchen area of the Hinata Inn. It's one of those breakfasts that makes you think that only a master chef can create...

Well, the closest to being a master chef that lives there anyways.

This is the work of the Inn's resident cook and goddess of shyness, Shinobu Maehara, though the latter description doesn't really suit her that well anymore. As a matter of fact, she harbors very few reservations anymore. That doesn't mean that she wears very skimpy clothes and parades around in front of everyone. She is just much more confident about herself. She can talk to people about herself, her dreams, and her desires without fear of someone making fun of her. Yet; the one thing, or person in this case, that had helped her overcome her shyness still makes her turn to jelly at the very sight of him. To her though, it doesn't matter. He means the world to her and that's all that matters. Let's see what her thoughts are about this situation.

"If it wasn't for you Keitaro, my life would not be as good as it is today. You have been my friend, my savior, and my guardian angel all at once. Before; nobody, save a few people, cared about me and my feelings. I felt alone in this world. Then you showed up in my life. You helped brighten my once miserable world and I can't stop thanking you for that. You made me feel more like a woman than a simple child. With you around; my life is complete, even if we are not together."

"Even though I have progressed a great deal when it comes to admitting my feelings to others, I still can't admit to you that I love you. Maybe the reason is that you mean too much to me and I'm afraid that you don't feel the same way about me. I know it's stupid to think that as I know you care for me, but I still can't help but think like that. With you and Naru being together, it makes it even harder to say how I feel. You are not stupid though. I know that you know how I feel about you. At least you don't pretend to make something more of our relationship when there is nothing there. You still are my friend amd I can live with that. I still wish that I was the one you truly loved like the way it is with you and Naru though. Maybe one day I'll find someone just like you and, as corny as it sounds, live happily ever after."

While Shinobu was reminiscing about her fantasy, she almost failed to notice that everybody else had shown up to the table, waiting for breakfast to be served. Noticing that she was off in fantasy land again, Keitaro decided to walk over and snap her out of her reverie. After the resulting shriek after being brought back to reality, both She and Keitaro serve breakfast for the others. While going to get the drinks for everyone, she had one more though pass by.

"You know that I will always love you for who you are. Whether you love me as a lover or only as a friend doesn't matter as long as we can be together for as long as possible in this house."

With that, she grabs the drinks and heads back out. "Maybe", she thinks, "it's time to tell him how I feel once and for all, but not right now. I'll do it when the time is right."

End Chapter 3

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End notes: Once again, please forgive me for such a late update. Now that has been taken care of, let's get down to business. Hopefully this chapter was well worth the wait. This chapter may have a different feel to it then the previous two. I wanted to make Shinobu more mature and understanding. Remember that I am setting this fic several years after the end of both the anime and manga. I hoped that it came off really well. I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as possible so bear with me. Please leave a review, whether you liked it or not. Thank you for your support of this story.


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